Chapter 76 Marked by the Serpent
❄︎ Viktor ❄︎
The urge to break something was all-encompassing.
The need buzzed underneath my skin like a vengeful hornet.
But what gain was to be had from mindlessly breaking things? Things that could not feel, not scream?
The leggy blonde pressing her inflated tits into my arm at the bar seemed like a good prospect. But I couldn’t bring myself to take her somewhere private for fear of disappointment.
The only lips I wanted to nip between mine belonged to an especially stubborn heiress. One I’d decided to give some much-needed space before I did something I’d regret. Like chain her to the floor of my bedroom and renovate the house into a hamster cage for her to live the rest of her days.
“You know, I don’t have a gag reflex,” the blonde purred. “I want to feel your balls on my chin and your cock head knocking on the back of my throat, big boy.”
I caught the wandering hand headed for my crotch, meeting her half-lidded gaze with my icy glare.
“I’m sure you can find someone else interested in your… talents. But I’m not. Leave.”
She looked about to argue, but my loaded scowl did the trick. She huffed, snatched her arm back, and migrated to the other end of the bar to accost another man.
How was I to survive letting Rosa go if I couldn’t even fucking summon an attraction for any other woman?
Despite our tryst at the restaurant, I’d had to rub one out in the shower, the image of her pursed rosebud lips and soft jasmine scent scorching my senses.
I rolled the glass in my hand, glaring at the drink as though it was to blame for my ill-thought statement.
“If you think I need this marriage more than you need me, go prove it,” I’d said.
I snorted.
I did need the marriage more than she needed me, evidently.
She hadn’t even reacted, or questioned it.
The relieved slump of her shoulders hadn’t been imagined.
I grinned, looking forward to her expression when she served me the papers and I declined to sign.
She would huff in frustration, stomp her feet, and maybe curse at me.
But it wouldn’t matter, the episode would end with my tongue deep in her nectar and her petals hugging my cock.
In fact, I’d go back up to the penthouse right now. I’d tell her the real reason I couldn’t let her leave.
Not the hotel. But her.
I loved her. She had crept up on me and sank her painted claws into my chest, and I’d let her.
And if she refused my affection…
I’d cross that bridge when I got to it.
I’d just pushed away from the bar when my phone pinged.
I glanced at the ID on my watch before tapping my earbuds to answer it.
Adrian.
“What?” I snapped, not appreciating the interruption.
“The warehouse at Red Hook was just taken down with explosives. The sole survivor was able to put a call through before he was taken out with a shot.”
A growl worked its way up my throat.
“Who did it?”
“I can’t tell for now. All of our partners are on the same page with us. This might be a new player…”
“Or an old one,” I cut in, the image of the sigil on the shooter at the restuarant coming to mind.
“I’m headed to you…”
“I’m closer. At the Grand Marlow. Meet me there.”
“I could pick you up, it’s dangerous…”
“I said meet me there, Adrian.” I hissed, disconnecting the call.
Finally, something to break. Something to kill.
And when my itch was scratched, I would return and profess my love to my darling wife. Plan our future and leave her precious hotel to her, as long as she allowed me enough access to pursue my mission against the syndicate.
I’d assigned my soldatos to guard the house and my other businesses, thinking the night would end with Rosa seeing reason to my proposal of buying the hotel for the good of society.
But alas, here I was, driving to the site of my blown-up storage space alone.
The weapons in the trunk and pistols strapped to my hip were more than enough.
And tonight, I was eager to play.
The route that led to the warehouse was a stretch of land and abandoned factories.
Exiting the freeway, I noticed two black SUVs tailing me, which immediately raised red flags. My hand slipped onto my pistol, freeing it from its holster.
I maintained my speed and kept an eye on the cars behind me.
Deserted and dark save for the sliver of moonlight bouncing off the chrome plates of the vehicles, the road stretched out ahead.
A rock face on my left and a ravine on my right, I had no choice but to keep driving forward.
Then a shot rang out.
I hissed at the scraping sound of a bullet brushing my car.
Unable to divide my attention to return the shots, I sped up, but the SUVs drew closer, more shots ringing out.
Someone was definitely making their move.
There had either been no explosion and this was a setup, or the explosion was meant to draw me out.
I struck the dashboard in rage as the attackers continued to gain on me, and suddenly, the car swerved and screeched.
Fuck. They’d hit one of my tires.
Fighting for control, I stepped on the brakes and grabbed my gun, intending to get out and start shooting when the car lurched forward from being rammed by one of the SUVs.
The last thing I saw before the impact was the number plate, branded with a sigil of a serpentine mouth with a gun sticking out of it…
And then everything broke.